Gift giving idea: adopt a tree. Or simply: send cash!

December 3, 2010 - Taste Buds

THE BUDS absolutely LOVE, and we mean LOVE, to get gifts. We adore big gifts, little gifts, medium gifts, fat gifts, skinny gifts. You name it. If it is a gift, we are going to love it! You know how we are: We go "goo-goo, gaa-gaa" over scarves, boots, candy, jewelery, sweaters, socks, cookies, purses, hockey tickets and CASH! But, hey, we don't like to limit ourselves. Any old gift will do. Just make sure it is cute and the right size. (Hint--CASH!) Being the popular little things that we are, we often receive emails advising us of the awesome gifts out there. And with it being the "gift giving" season, we are seeing even more emails on this topic than usual. Just the week we received a correspondence that tickled our funny bones and we have decided to share it with you...our loyal and dedicated fans! Here it is: Looking for an Original, Memorable Gift? Give the "adoption" of an Authentic Italian Olive Tree to the Food Lover in Your Life Need an original gift that your recipient will remember all year? Tre Olive offers the "adoption" of authentic olive trees from their family run grove in Italy. The recipients then receive the harvest of premium extra virgin olive oil from their adopted trees. Customers already are enthused about adopting their trees. "We were very excited to receive our adopted tree," said Jean Monsanto of Del Mar, Calif. "We already feel like part of the family and are hoping to plan a trip to come visit in June. The welcome package was beautifully presented and we can't wait to get our olive oil" Tre Olive was started by three cousins whose family has owned groves and olive oil mills in Calabria, Italy since 1934. Many of the trees in the Tre Olive grove are nearly a century old, with the temperature and climate are perfect for growing olives. All are cared for by hand by dedicated family members who have worked in the groves for decades, with experience that has been passed on through generations. Tre Olive's extra virgin olive oil is made from olives grown, picked, pressed and poured in Italy. The olive oil is single estate, first cold press extra virgin olive oil made from the Carolea variety of olives native to the Calabria region of Italy. The process to harvest the finest extra virgin olive oil begins with the tilling of the land at the beautiful Southern Italy grove. Careful pruning by hand, masterful nurturing through tree growth, hand-picked harvesting with perfect, optimal timing and advanced pressing techniques make up the process to create the Tre Olive extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil is now the third best-selling cooking oil in the United States. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat and, unlike butter, lard and other fats, contains a large proportion of easily digested fats and no cholesterol. Olive oil is also a good source of vitamin E, which is thought to help protect against cancer and heart disease. Italy is known to product the highest rated olive oils in Europe. With the adoption of a tree for a year, at a cost of only $110, olive oil lovers receive: -- A customized hard-cover display holder with a certificate of adoption beautifully gift wrapped. -- An informational brochure and welcome letter. -- A photo of the adopted tree, with all its graceful beauty and naturally imperfect glory. -- Your tree is tagged with your name for the adoption year. -- Three liters of extra virgin olive oil from the adopted tree will arrive in the spring. For more information or to adopt a Tre Olive tree, visit www.treolive.com. Let us know what you think about adopting an olive tree. We got gifts to get! The Taste Buds may be reached at tastebuds@timesleaderonline.com